COTENT RECOGNITION AND CENSORSHIP

• US 20130298180A1
• Filed: 12/12/2011
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eldon Technology Limited (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Mountain, Dale Llewelyn
• Granted Patent: US 8,904,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes

Abstract

A method for controlling the output of media content, particularly audio content, to a user in relation to an apparatus, such as a set-top-box, having an input, for receiving media content, and an output, for providing the media content to an output device such as a television or other display device. Media content is received at the input and then analysed using a media content recognition unit. The media content recognition unit undertakes the step of identifying portions of the received media content that contain undesired content, such as offensive language. The output of media content to a user is then controlled, based on any identified undesired content, to prevent the output of content when the identified undesired portions are to be output. A corresponding apparatus and computer program are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the output of media content to a user, for an apparatus comprising an input for receiving media content and an output for providing the media content to an output device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving media content at the input;

analyzing the media content using a media content recognition unit to identify one or more portions that contain undesired content; and

controlling the output of the apparatus to prevent the output of media content to a user when the identified portions of media content are to be output.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the media content includes audio content and wherein:

the step of analysing analyzing the media content using a media content recognition unit to identify one or more portions that contain undesired content includes comparing received audio content with data stored on a memory, the data identifying undesired words; and

wherein the method further comprises performing comparisons with a maximum number of words.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the maximum number of words is selected such that the recognition unit can compare the received audio with the maximum number of identified words within a specified time period.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the maximum number of words is selected based on the time taken for a decoder of the apparatus to decode a portion of media content, the maximum number of words being such that the recognition unit can compare the portion of received audio content with the identified number of undesired words within the time taken for the decoder to decode the portion of media content.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the audio content is checked and censored in real time.

6. A method according to claim 4 wherein the maximum number of words is selected such that the comparison of words with received audio content can be performed at the same rate, or a greater rate, as the received audio content is decoded by the decoder.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the display of media content to the user is prevented by impairing the output of the apparatus, such as by muting it.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the media content has an associated time reference, the method further comprising the steps of:

identifying, using the associated time reference, the beginning of each media content portion containing undesired content; and

preventing the display of media content to a user for a period of time starting at or near the time identified using the associated time reference so as to prevent the output of all or some of the undesired content.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus is a set-top-box for receiving and outputting media content, the set-top-box including a media decoder to decode media content for display and an additional processor, such as a digital signal processor, the method further comprising using the additional processor, in the media content recognition unit, to identify one or more portions of media content that contain undesired content.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the media content is a television signal, or an audio stream, received by broadcast.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes a display device and the output of media content to the user is prevented by controlling a function on the display device to interrupt the output of media content from the display device, such as a mute function.

12. A method according to claim 1 in which the media content includes a video stream the method further comprising the steps of:

analyzing the video stream to identify faces and altering the video stream to obscure at least a portion of one or more faces when output of media content to a user is being prevented.

13. An apparatus for outputting media content for display to a user, the apparatus comprising:

an input for receiving media content;

an output for providing the media content to a display device for display to a user;

a media content recognition unit for identifying one or more portions of received media content that contain undesired content; and

an output control unit arranged to controlling the output of the apparatus to prevent the output of media content to a user when identified portions of media content are to be output.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

the input is arranged to receive media content including audio content;

the apparatus further comprises a memory storing data identifying undesired words;

the media content recognition unit is arranged to compare received audio content with the stored data to identify undesired words within the audio content; and

the output control unit is arranged to control the output of the apparatus to prevent the output of media content to a user when identified undesired words within the media content are to be output;

wherein the apparatus is configured to compare and identify up to a maximum number of words.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the maximum number of words that can be identified is selected such that the recognition unit can identify those words within a specified time period.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein:

the apparatus comprises a decoder to decode received media content for output to a display; and

wherein

the maximum number of words that can be identified is selected based on the time taken for a decoder to decode a portion of media content, the maximum number of words being such that the recognition unit can compare the portion of received audio content with all identified undesired words within the time taken for the decoder to decode the portion of media content.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the maximum number of words is such that audio content is checked and censored in real time.

18. An apparatus according to claim 14 to wherein the maximum number of words is determined by a limit placed on the number of words that can be stored in the memory.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1418 wherein the number of words that can be stored in memory may be fewer than 100, fewer than 60, fewer than 40 or fewer than 20.

20. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the maximum number of words that the memory can store is selected such that the comparison of words with received audio content can be performed at the same rate, or a greater rate, or a greater rate, as the received audio content is decoded by the decoder.

21. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the control unit is arranged to impair the output of the apparatus when the identified portions of media content are to be output.

22. An apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising a display device, wherein the control unit is arranged to control a function on a display device to interrupt the output of media content from the display device.

23. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the apparatus comprises a first processor for decoding received media content to be displayed to the user and a second processor, the media content recognition unit comprising the second processor.

24. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the media recognition unit is further arranged to receive a time reference associated with received media content, and to identify the beginning and end time of each media content portion containing undesired content;

and wherein the control unit is arranged to prevent the display of media content to a user synchronously with the identified times by using the associated time reference.

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)